The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-26
nlegible Writing.

al idea that bad handwriting show
ability, but the fancy seems more .
less will o-the-wisp-like.
Too often it is true, from the time
the young hand holds the pen as I
workman grasps the glasscutter, up Il
the time "his days are in the yellow
leaf, he makes zigzags, darts, flour
ishes, poihooks. and hangers, until ont
almost wonders if The signs OF the 10
diac have not been learned in mistak,
for the written alphabet.
Ii there be n star of unknown magn.
tude. that imagines that he Is blazing
near the zenith, il is he who, before the
earth can turn upon Its axis, is unabl,
to read his own scribbling, which looks
like n gridiron struck by lightning, n
one of our greatest statesmen once ex
pressed it.
However these things may seem, II
may be well to consider If there be
anything titilating to ones self-love in
scratching an unreadable hand, anc
whether me world would not wag more
complacently without this sort of tai
ent.
The fault of bad handwriting may be
seen in the trace of the sluggard, and
in the undue haste of the man who
imagines 'tlme is money! selfish
view. for the readers time may be
worth far more than gold.
Again, however gratifying to the van.
fly of those who ''scribble and scrawl"
their own names so that they cannot
be recognized thirty eight hours from
the date the ink dries, it is far from
pleasing to the pride of others to have
their names look as if they had been in
a riot, and are beyond recognition.
People prefer to change their own
names; and the small sweet courteses
of life" might suggest something in
the writing of names. The needless
pen may be found gamboling over
snowy pages, jumping letters into mon
ograms, till driving public, with little
time and taste for the study of enigmas
and puzzle pictures, might well wish
the scrawler would either curb his way
ward talent enough to write readable
hand, or learn to make his mark. and
have somebody to write who can do so.
The imagination should have play,
but not too much, rs the story told Of
the dealer who ordered, in very il.
legible hand, two bales of goods, and
to whom two bears were shipped in.
stead, will show.
1t is not suggested that everyone
should write script-like hand. Upon
the contrary, handwriting may show
an individuality, and be us the trees in
the forest Yet. when the dainty swell
indites lines to Angelica, they should be
written SO that they may be seen with
the naked eye. And no one will quar-
rel with John Henry if he take pen
in hand, or dip it into writing-iluid of a
crimson hue, but he might stop short
of hand so bold that it suggests the
use of a marking-pot and brush; and
he might write Belnda's address plain
enough so that the clerks in the Post
office could discover to what State the
missive should be sent.
Where is the creature, incased in sci.
fishness like an oyster in its she'll, that
would stifle any tender feeling which
might be awakened at the sight OF the
dealer in perfumes of Arabia, when, in
vain, he racks his brain over the
scratches on scrap of paper. trying
to discern what kind of scented lard
Ludovic would have for his hair ?
Who will care If DIR. Whirlgigg
write so fast that his pen sizzles, and
is in danger of setting the paper on
fire, II the writing only be done so that
the druggist can tell whether drop OF
this or a gallon Of that is wanted ?
Doubtless more sweetness would be
added to life were John Doe always to
pen his lines so distinctly that he would
never be mistaken for Richard Roe.
Whether you write with pen made
of quill from an angles wing" OF
.'though with a golden pen you scrawl, u"
none the less due from you is pains
taking. Charles +. Wilson, IN The Cur
~SDf